So this is what im going to buy (Opinions?)

admin

My friend and I are going to split the costs of this 50/50.I reaserched a lot and this is what looks best to me.For the Welder/Kit:http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...1005_200311005The Bottle:http://cgi.ebay.com/80-CF-Welding-Cy...em220079870994What else would I need? What size wire?Thank You.<----Excited.
Reply:.25 70sr6.  stainless brush, 4.5" grinder, fire extinguisher, safty glasses, helmet, gloves, metal to play on...  Get cutoff wheels for the grinder until you can get a bandsaw or chopsaw.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Oh yah grinders. Im buying two. One to grind and one to cut.These are them.http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...ategory%20PageAnd as for the safety stuff, I have all of that already.
Reply:Id also be asking what you plan to do with it.  Looks like a good little unit, but as long as your projects are within its limitations...At least its blue, and thats a start in the right direction!Check out your local Airgas.  Mine had 80cf's for less (once you add the shipping), and you'll be able to develop a relationship with your local.ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:Its for general fabrication. Auto work, and also building bikes.
Reply:I was going to buy the same clarke welder, but instead I bought a Hobart 140.  It's made in the USA and their is plenty of customer support available if you have any problems, plus at Northern Tool, it is only marginally more expensive than the Clarke.  Also, buy your sheilding gas from a local welding supply company, because if you buy a bottle off of E-Bay, you will probaly have problems having  someone fill it (they only will fill bottles they sell).  Good luck with your purchase.
Reply:Before you buy the bottle, check with you local welding supply. I bought a new 80cf bottle on ebay from IOC. I could have bought the same bottle local filled for the same price. Since you will be exchanging it anyway, it doesn't make a difference if you buy a new bottle."Common sense is not very common"http://www.tahoekeyshome.com
Reply:looks like a good setup to me and the clarke welder should do really good.
Reply:Clarke has excellent customer support as well. I've called them a few times. Their corporate headquarters are in the USA. I can't confirm being built in Italy but being italian, I'm impressed with my unit and happy. I would buy something built in Italy any day of the week. Italians are a hard working and intelligent people.  I weld with it a ton and it keeps on welding. No problems what-so-ever.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:While on holiday the Caribbean country I was in had lots of Italian & Spanish made stuff. It struck me as well made and decent quality (and it was treated harshly by hotel staff but kept on going.)We don't get enough exposure to goods from other countries. Some places make top-notch stuff. All we see these days is stuff from China.Oh, and the nicest people I met while on holiday this time were a couple from northern Italy. Anyway, enough OT.I think you'll be happy with your purchase and play safe, have fun.Craftsman 230a Buzz-box,  Lincoln 140T & 180T, Century K2789, PUROX W202 O/A14" cheapo chop saw that cuts straight and square!A toolbox of the cheapest Chinese tools money can buy"Real" tools all old reliable Husky/Craftsman/Proto stuff
Reply:I called the place. The guy said he sells the bottles for $200 ish.I will order tomorrow!
Reply:huh.  I paid $160 for a full 150 tank of argon new from Airgas.Guess I should go do a little dance and get down tonight!ThermalArc 185MillerMatic 180 w/ AutosetVictor Cutskill Oxy/AcetyleneThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 38and spite!
Reply:snake oil...Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:By a lincoln or a miller and get a longer warranty, and the plus side is it's prob alot easier to get repairs on those verses an unknown.
Reply:Don't get me wrong, I love my Millers, but comparing the MM140 and Lincoln PM140 to my little Clarke, it surpasses them by triple their warranty - TRIPLE! You can't beat that, not with 2 sticks. The 3 yr. and 3 yr. versus a 10 year warranty? Come on, I know we all love our red and blue, but this company has a strong product for a great price.Some of you guys are stubborn in your ways.  Also, Clarke has been around a LONG time, so they are not an "unknown".John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:From what I saw it was a limited warranty.This feature-filled welding kit has a 10-year limited warranty on the transformer and 1-year limited warranty on parts and labor.
Reply:Originally Posted by Doolittlesnake oil...
Reply:Correct, it's limited to factory defects, failure of equipment, etc. NOT damage from a hammer, dropping it...get the idea? That is what most "limited" warranties outline. I'll take a 10 year limited vs. a 3 yr. any day of the week because after 3 years you still have nothing. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:The 10 years is on the transformer ONLY.  The rest of the machine is only 1 year. Nonetheless...how many people do you know that have a Clark machine that's over 10 years old?  It's most likely that, after 10 years, you will be without this machine...  and the miller owners will still have one they can sell for pretty good money, if they choose.On the bottle...I would not reccomend buying a bottle online.  First off, that valve fitting is what his typically used for C02, not Argon.  Second, you will likely have to pay for inspections and tests on the bottle, since you own it.  Personally, I worked out a deal with my gas company where I bought the bottle, yet we treat it like it's leased.  They keep up papers on it, and I just do swaps for a full bottle when I need one.
Reply:Correct. So how many years is the transformer warranty on a Miller or Lincoln? Have you tried to buy one for a defunct Miller or Lincoln? I've read at least a half dozen threads on here alone that people are having issues buying parts. On top of that, if you have to buy one and can find one, they are expensive! Don't get me wrong, I like my Millers. The Clarke is just hard to beat and the best bang-for-the-buck IMO. It is also a VERY well built unit. Don't cut it until you try one. It amazes me how people who have never owned the product are the first to dismiss the stuff. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneCorrect. So how many years is the transformer warranty on a Miller or Lincoln? Have you tried to buy one for a defunct Miller or Lincoln? I've read at least a half dozen threads on here alone that people are having issues buying parts. On top of that, if you have to buy one and can find one, they are expensive!
Reply:Oh, I see. So, now that all car manufacturers are offering longer warranties, their product is junk? I can't agree with your line of thinking.  The fact is, parts still break...no matter which manufacturer. Every single part that goes down the line isn't under the scrunity of QC. Parts DO break, I don't care if your Miller, Lincoln or Clarke is entirely made of gold. It happens. No doubt about that.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneOh, I see. So, now that all car manufacturers are offering longer warranties, their product is junk? I can't agree with your line of thinking.
Reply:So, an equivalent 110v / 130A Miller costs $2,000? Wow, news to me. May I ask what kind of car you drive? Please tell me you paid more for your vehicle that has less warranty. John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:I was merely stating the availability of parts and repairs for a known verses an unknown, not to try and say any one manufacturer is better just weigh out your options, like in a previuos post how long can you wait for repairs and maybe if you have a good distributor they may have a demo machine u can use while yours is getting repairs, these are the thing's I'm refering to: product support! buying online or from a place that is not local plus the freight for sending back and forth, it can go on and on. And how much is the freight to have it delivered when purchasing?Last edited by Dipper Welder64; 02-10-2007 at 06:04 PM.Originally Posted by MicroZoneSo, an equivalent 110v / 130A Miller costs $2,000? Wow, news to me.
Reply:You should know my motto by now. Buy good cry once, buy junk, unknowns, lesser-brands, abused, etc. and cry twice. The folks here are trying to steer you straight. Pooling your funds, you should have more than enough to buy a name brand machine that's bigger than what you need right now (no retooling that way), and from a company that's been around longer than most of us have been welding. You can still get parts for 20-30 year old Millers, Lincolns and Hobarts. As far as a bottle, DO NOT buy a bottle, lease it from your local welding supply. Many local welding supplies will not fill a bottle that isn't theirs (Norco, Praxair and AirGas in my town.) If they do, they won't fill your new shiny bottle while you wait. They'll take your new one, throw it in the empty pen with all the empties and give you a used one that's full. There goes your new bottle never to be seen again. By leasing a bottle, you always get one back that's in date and if you have a leaky valve you exchange it for another one. If something goes wrong with your "owned" bottle, who ya gonna get to fix it? LWS won't touch it and you have to ship it back to the bottle guys...out of your own pocket.  RonnieRonnie LyonsMeridian, Idaho
Reply:FWIW, I buy what I can get fixed locally.My first mig (still have it and it works fine almost 20 years later) , a rebranded Century had a three year over the counter exchange from Canadian Tire.The more expensive Lincs had the same length warranty but RTD for service.Anyway, the Century never broke, worked fine during and after the warranty and got put into mothballs for 10 years.I dug it out recently, cleaned it up, struck an arc and it works fine. I'll keep using it until I decide what newer machine I want (not need) to buy.My 2 cents.Craftsman 230a Buzz-box,  Lincoln 140T & 180T, Century K2789, PUROX W202 O/A14" cheapo chop saw that cuts straight and square!A toolbox of the cheapest Chinese tools money can buy"Real" tools all old reliable Husky/Craftsman/Proto stuff
Reply:You can lead horse to water ................. well you know the rest!
Reply:I"m not trying to discourage anybody from buying what they want.  I just feel that people have to look realistically at the options, and then make the decision.  If a person knows all the info about their options, it's kinda hard for somebody else to say they made the wrong choice.If you want cheap, buy cheap...but just know what the downsides of that will be.  If you are willing to accept that, you're making the choice that's right for you.
Reply:I've had good luck with all the other Clarke products.  I haven't tried the welder though.  you'll have to let us know how it works out.  As far as the bottle, i would go locally just for the reasons stated above.  $200 sounds expensive though.DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:Originally Posted by EngloidYour implication (for the second time) is that I made these statements...which I didn't.  I'll speak for myself, thanks.  The simple word "if" has obviously confused you somehow.
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneI make no implications, you are clearly writing what you want then back tracking. I can't find any issues with Clarke welders. What I can find for you is at LEAST a half dozen posts on this forum with people having issues finding parts, or paying extremely high prices, for their broken Licoln and Miller welders. Those are the facts, you have yet to provide ANY, other than basic unintelligent assumptions about the Clarke product.
Reply:As a rule 110v machines are disappointing no matter who's machine it is. I've been there and done that. You don't want to find out your machine gets lousy penitration on the bikes you weld when the frame breaks in half while your going fast do you? If you can't afford something much better at least go on ebay and get some used bottom of the line 220v machine.
Reply:Engloid - relax man, I'm just busting your chops, have a good rest of the weekend. BTW - Clarke uses standard parts, tweco tips, standardized spools and rollers, it's not tough to get parts. The same way I get parts for my Miller. Clarke was smart in doing this, they did it for a reason - reliability. Plus, calling their service phone number, you get someone right away. Great service, warranty and price. Thanks for making some interesting conversation. Again, take care and have a great weekend.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneEngloid - relax man, I'm just busting your chops, have a good rest of the weekend.
Reply:I agree, it seems the cost of everything is rising - every product, service or good.John -  fabricator extraordinaire, car nut!-  bleeding Miller blue! http://www.weldfabzone.com
Reply:Originally Posted by MicroZoneI agree, it seems the cost of everything is rising - every product, service or good.
Reply:Where would you folks put HTP in the world of welders hierarchy?
Reply:Well, I bought it.Should be here today.As for the bottle im going to go to my local airgas next week and pick one up.Im not going to be building motorcycles, more like chopped up pedal bikes with a weedeater engine.I know what im getting into.Thanks for all the help, and arguments. I'll post pics of my projects as I go along.
Reply:FYINortherntools has the HH140 with cart and free shipping for another $60.
Reply:Clarkes Are A Good Home Machine.KISS...KEEP IT SAFE STUPID
Reply:Loks like a good deal for fab,but if your doing bikes U really need to go TIG.